Anabaptist Foundation Haiti Savings Group Program

The Open Hands Fund committee of the Anabaptist Foundation has been researching ways to do economic development and micro-finance projects in the Third World, especially in communities where there are Anabaptist churches. Last year we did about 225 micro-finance loans in North-Eastern Haiti. These loans are now in their second six month loan cycle. The repayment rate on the first six month loan cycle was over 96%.

Our latest project is a savings group program in the Miragoane area of Haiti. Lyndon Swarey, from Stuarts Draft, Virginia, moved to Haiti about a month ago to supervise the program. Since that time we have been able to conduct a training session and interview seven Haitian Mennonite candidates for two positions as group facilitators.

We have hired two Haitian Mennonite men as group facilitators. They are beginning to speak to Pastors and churches about savings groups. They are beginning with the 18 Pastors and churches in the area around Cadiac. After that they will also make presentations in LaColline, Miragoane and Mesote. We are hoping to have about 200 participants in savings groups by the Fall of next year.

The vision is to help people to form savings groups in their church or community. Each group will establish their goals and objectives for saving. They will meet regularly and encourage each other in meeting their savings goals. There are a variety of types of savings groups. This has been done very successfully in other countries.

The neat thing about savings groups is that when people save, they gain an asset. When they take a loan in traditional micro-finance, they assume a liability. Savings group participants gain just a little slice of margin in their lives. That slice of margin can begin a process that leads to economic change in their family. It also operates without outside funding. So, it addresses the feeling that so often develops among people living in poverty, that their situation is hopeless and they are helpless to do anything about it.